Rin stared in shock at the suddenly slumbering demon beside her. Had he just kissed her and then immediately gone comatose? What was she supposed to make of that?

She studied his unconscious face for answers. Most people's features were relaxed and childlike in sleep, but Sesshoumaru still looked primed for battle, like he could snap to attention at any moment. Rin chuckled. Go figure.

Well, she obviously couldn't ask him what he had meant by it until morning, so she might as well enjoy the night. She settled back down into the grass and admired the moon, the stars, and the blackness around them. It wasn't long before she, too, drifted off to sleep.

The first thing she was aware of when she woke up was a warm weight all around her. She cracked an eye open to see Sesshoumaru's face only inches from hers. His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist, and their legs were slightly tangled. Apparently in the night they had somehow wound themselves together. She smiled. It felt nice.

The second thing she noticed was that they had an audience.

Inuyasha was standing in front of them with his mouth dropped in shock. Kagome was sitting sulkily on a mountain of pillows. Izayoi had set up a small table and was standing next to it causally sipping tea with her husband. There were also two men Rin didn't know. They were painting.

"Oh, hi guys!" she greeted cheerfully.

"Izayoi told me it was true, but I didn't believe it…" Inuyasha muttered.

"Believe what?" she asked, tilting her head.

"We've all been standing here for two hours, I would think that you'd believe it by now," Sesshoumaru's father commented.

"Correction," Kagome interjected irritably. "Everyone else has been standing for two hours. I have been exiled to the pillow mountain of shame because apparently my fragile, stupid body can't handle things like standing anymore." She shot a pointed glare at Inuyasha.

"I just don't want to take any chances," he responded calmly.

"What are the inherent risks of standing, Inuyasha? Do you think the baby will fall out if I'm upright for too long?"

Inuyasha knitted his brows and turned to his mother. "Can that happen?"

"Of course it can, dear."

"Izayoi!"

"What? I don't want to take any chances, either. That's my grandchild, you know."

Sesshoumaru shifted. "Must you all make so much noise?" he muttered grumpily.

"Don't move, dear. The painter's not quite finished."

Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped open and he sat up abruptly. Rin tumbled into his lap, then tried to right herself. He gave her a steadying hand, but once she was upright as well, he stood and stalked over to the first painter. Rin followed.

"Aw, how nice," she cooed.

The picture was an almost complete depiction of the two of them laying in the grass, limbs entangled.

"What exactly is the purpose of this painting?" Sesshoumaru asked tersely.

"I was thinking of hanging it in the dining room."

"I do not consent." He snatched the painting off of the easel in one fluid motion, then marched over to the second painter, narrowing his eyes. "And what is this?"

"It's a combination of your features onto some children's faces. You know. So we don't have to wait nine months to see how the babies will turn out."

Without hesitation, Sesshoumaru shredded the canvas into ribbons.

"Aw!" Rin pouted. "I didn't even get to see. Were they cute?"

"Just the girls," Inuyasha answered. "The boys look too much like Sesshoumaru."

Without even turning to face him, Sesshoumaru back-handed Inuyasha into a tree. Leaves tumbled around him.

"Hey!" he yelled. "Don't hurt me in front of Kagome! She might get stressed."

"You are all idiots," Sesshoumaru declared disdainfully. Then he turned and headed back towards the castle, not waiting to see if anyone would follow.

There was a silence for a few moments, then Sesshoumaru's father broke it.

"Interesting," he mused.

"What is?" Rin asked.

"He only destroyed one of the paintings. He took the other one with him."

"Maybe he liked it," Rin offered helpfully.

Everyone stared at her incredulously. Except for the painters. They were packing up their things. The one whose work was destroyed was sniffling softly.

"What?" Rin asked. "I thought it was nice, too. Didn't you?"

Inuyasha rubbed the back of his neck. "It's hard to tease her when she thinks everyone and everything is so nice…" he muttered.

"Aren't you?" Rin asked. His eyes shifted from left to right. She continued to stare at him, waiting patiently for his answer. Finally, she repeated the question. "You're all out here because you wanted to do something nice for Sesshoumaru, right?"

"Y…yes?" Inuyasha answered hesitantly.

"I knew it!"

What a nice family.

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